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Lèse-majesté

Tuesday is the sixth anniversary of the arrest of Da Torpedo. She is currently serving a 15-year sentence for three alleged violations of the lèse majesté law. During the past 6 years, she has experienced consistent obstacles in accessing justice.

Coup makers, since 1976 coup d’etat, have regularly cited a surge of lese majeste as a prerequisite for overthrowing an elected government. The 2006 coup, when lese majeste was cited as one of the major reasons, marked a surge of the lese majeste cases. The atrocity in April-May 2010, where almost 100 of people were killed during the military crackdown on anti-establishment red-shirt protesters, also contributed to a dramatic rise of lese majeste cases, especially the offences committed online.

The police have charged Thanat Thanawatcharanon, aka Tom Dundee, a country singer-turned-red-shirt activist, with lèse majesté and offences under the Computer Crime Act.
About 20 military and police officers, led by the Technology Crime Suppression Division, arrested Tom at his house in Phetchaburi Province on Wednesday.
Tom’s wife told Prachatai that he was charged over his speeches at two red-shirt rallies, held by Kotee Red Guard, in November 2013.

Police in northern Chiang Rai Province caught a man red-handed after he had torn up a photograph of HM the King, and charged him with lèse majesté, ASTV Manager Online reported on Wednesday.
Samak Panthe, 49, reportedly tore up a photograph of HM the King which was installed at the gate of Pasak Village in Thoeng District.
According to the report, Samak resided in the village and confessed that he himself destroyed the photo.

Thai police arrested a woman protester for showing support for the US in front of the US Embassy in Bangkok on 4 July, Independence Day.
The police detained Chaowanat Musikabhumi, aka “Nong,” at the Crime Suppressiong Division without charges.
When she was interrogated by the military and security officers at the Thai Army Club, the military officers told her that by holding a placard reading “Long Live USA Day,” she may have violated Article 112 of the Criminal Code or the lèse majesté law that the placard

Sombat Boonngam-anong, a high profile anti-coup and red-shirt activist, has been released from custody after interrogation at a police station in the northeast province of Roi Et related to a lèse majesté charge.
It has been confirmed to Prachatai that the military court granted bail to Sombat on Monday evening.

Apichat P., who has been charged with defying the military junta’s orders and later with lèse majesté, was released from Bangkok Remand Prison on Tuesday after the Criminal Court rejected a police request to renew the custody petition.
The 25-year-old law graduate student was arrested at the protest at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) on May 23, only a day after the coup took place.

Noam Chomsky, a respected linguist and critic of US foreign policy, on Sunday emailed Pavin Chachavalpongun to give moral support after the latter reportedly became a target of the Thai junta for his comments on the Thai coup, according to Pavin.
In the email, Chomsky expresses concerns over Pavin’s safety.
“I am deeply disturbed to learn about the threats against Professor Pavin Chachavalpongun.